RaRa Antonio: Designers You Should Know: Jessica Lovely

Fashion Designer is one of the hardest jobs to have

in todays world believe it or not. Some statistics say

it's an 8/10,000 chance of becoming a known/succesful

designer in this very competitive industry. That is why we need

to support designers who truely have the "it" factor, and arent

studying fashion just because they watched Sex in the City & now envy

whomever got to dress and/or style SJP and the girls that day.

This designer has the "it" factor, and this is me giving my support.

Jessica Lovely

Star of The Emmy Nominated

"So you wanna be a designer" Jessica Lovely, or simply

Lovely as most of her friends & family call

her could have easily become a model herself; But her

heart was behind a sewing machine & not on the runway wearing the

beautiful garments she constructs so effortlessly every season.

I met Lovely a few years back through JaJa Galliano, and I am honestly

not over exaggerating when I say I fell in love with her right away:

SHE WAS, and still is STUNNING.

I was visiting her, and her former roomate's college apartment, and

I had never seen anything like it. Mannequins, sketch books, and blast of

color: pink, yellow, and a soft orange to be specific: Were everywhere.

I saw design in the first stages of being created and it was truely awesome.

This meant everything to a gay fashion loving highschool student such as myself...

She inspired me, and is still doing so today.

Below is an interview I had with Lovely and

a few of my favorite designs. ENJOY!

1.) So, When did you realize your love for Fashion?

And what made you want to pursue it as a career?

"I have always loved clothes. It was always an obsession of mine.

My mother wasn't the type of woman who picked out our clothes with matchy-matchy

outfits for school. She always let my sister and I pick whatever we wanted

so I experimented a lot."

(and)

"I was always drawing clothes, but didn't start sewing until after I graduated high school.

I presented my first collection at the University of Michigan fashion show,

and instantly fell in love with creating fashion.

I knew it was all I wanted to do and feel."

2.) What inspires your design more, your personal style,

your enviorment, or a specific lifestyle (Student,Party girl, etc.)?

"When designing, I never go with a theme, or a specific style.

I design from my emotion more than anything.

What you create has to be about what you feel, in my opinion.

Just as any artist, your creation is best reflected by your raw emotions,

uninterrupted by trying to stay within certain parameters.

I let myself express my feelings through my designs.

The more intense my feelings, the more design options I will design."

3.) So, Can you tell me a little about your experience

on "So you wanna be a Designer"?

"It was an eight week competition with six competitors.

Each week we were given a specific design assignment and 52

hours to produce the final looks to be modeled

on the runway in front of a live audience, 3 guest judges

and online viewers; who would score us. The show overall, was an amazing experience.

I pushed myself harder than I think I ever have. Because of the time restraint,

there was no room for errors or confusion, so that definitely added a tremendous

amount of pressure. Also, because I was giving my all in each challenge, I would only

nap for a couple hours in the 2 1/2 day time limit,

which ended up making me a bit delirious lol! "

"I ultimately landed a spot in the final 2, and tied for first place!

However, I ended up taking second place after the tie breaker. And to be honest, as much as I wanted that $20,000 prize, not winning, made me that much more eager to follow my dreams. After the show, I was invited to New York Fashion Week to assist as the creative assistant

to Raul Peneranda, which was a dream come true!"